When God says No

I stole this from Helen.

Faith

I have been reading the book "Me and My Big Mouth" by Joyce Meyer. In it she is talking about having faith and believing the Lord for good things in our lives. I am really attracted to this becasue I know how important it is to have faith. However I've realized that I am holding back from God on this. I've been thinking a LOT about this lately and I am beginning to see why I am holding back.

It is fear of disappointment. I can list many examples of times when myself or others have believed God for something, and it didn't happen. Why should I believe when the thing doesn't come to pass?

Then I thought well the word says to endure hardship as discipline, God is treating us as sons and daughters. When God says 'no' that is a hardship to us. A 'no' answer is an opportunity for faith as well. In fact some famous writer said it requires MORE faith when God says 'no.'

So if I want to be a faithful person, living out ALL that God has for me in Christ Jesus, I must come to terms with the fact that God will say 'no' and I need to trust him all the more in these circumstances.

No one LIKES to be disciplined. But that doesn't mean dicsipline is bad. In fact discipline is good and necessary. So I can endure hardship because God is training me for his service, for his glory. Now I can get excited about that! There is a purpose in everything. A great purpose in the 'yeses' and the 'nos.'

Another peice of this is the "need to know why" issue. That drives a wedge and becomes a stumbling block when I "need to know" why God allowed something so awful or painful. Part of faith again is trusting that God is good despite all the evil that may befall me or my loved ones. I stumble over this one at times. Just "needing to know" in order to trust him.

I am now seeing the foolishness of holding myself back from taking all that is mine in Christ Jesus for fear of disappointment. Just because God says 'no' doesn't mean he is not worthy of my complete trust and faith.

"When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?"

Faith is of greater worth than gold. Faith is one of the things that remain, along with Hope and Love. Jesus rebuked those who had little faith, and rewarded those with great faith. Do I want Jesus shaking his head at me and saying "why did you doubt?" No! I want Jesus to say "well done good and FAITHFUL servant!"